How to Play a DVD with PV5Encrypted DVD support is not shipped on the CD but is available from the PCLos apt repository.To access the apt repository you must first Install PV5 to Hard Disc. The CD /usr directories are read only.After installing PV5 to HD you can update your software using apt/synaptic or apt-get.To access synaptic from the KDE desktop useKDE->Configuration->Packaging->SynapticSynaptic should start and automatically connect to the PCLos PV5 repository. Wait a minute for the list of installed/available packages. Enter the root password when requested. The default password for root is root.To install DVD Block Mode with DeCSS support:-Scroll down to and select "libdvdcss2"-Click the "+Install" button on the lower right-Click the "Execute" button on the top menubar-Wait for installation to complete-Exit synapticTo install via apt-get, start a console and then$ su# apt-get update# apt-get install libdvdcss2Installation should complete quickly, even on dialup. It is a small package.The next steps require a root console.KDE->Terminals->Konsole and$ suFrom the console we need to:Locate your DVD device# dmesg | grep DVDNote the device for your DVD. In my case (and for this example) it is hdc.Next step is to create a symlink for the dvd device.# cd /dev# ln -s /dev/hdc dvdReplace hdc with the correct device for your system.And now lets test the DVD. First exit root mode.# exitNow insert a DVD into your DVD driveThen$ mplayer -dvd 1This tests the command line mplayer. The advantages of this player are:-It almost always works-If it does not, you can check your console log for specific error messagesIf your audio is muted then runKDE->MultiMedia->Sound->Aumixand adjust Master and PCM volume controls.Press "q" to exit mplayer.Have Fun!!!

I am having problems with my soundThe most frequent cause of problems is muted sound.PCLos includes ATL's soundchk.sh v1.02 in /usr/local/binThe first step in checking for problems is to run the script.$ su# soundchk.shYour output should look like

Muted volumes show in the "Checking if Sound Volume muted" section of the output. The critical controls are "vol", "pcm" and "cd".If you have muted volumes then runKDE->MultiMedia->Sound->Aumixand adjust these controls.If you are still having problems after adjusting volumes then please post a problem report on the support thread and include a copy of the output from soundchk.sh.

Where has my funky rotating cpu usage cube gone?PV5 is having problems with 3D video.The kcube cpu usage applet is running but the cube may not be visible.If you have this problem, then, you will find that the 3D test program "glxgears -info" also fails.No solution available at the moment.

Installing to a Hard Drive does not workFirst, make sure you have checked the Documentation.Note:

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> Tried installing PV5, but the first time, process stopped at 100% (all> 3 progress bars), with "Creating /etc/fstab" in the Progress Info box.If you get "Creating /etc/fstab" AND the NEXT button is available for clicking means it is ready to go to the next step. This seems to be a little confusing to some people as they see the "Creating /etc/fstab" and are waiting for some other message saying "Complete! Click next to continue".

If, after reviewing the procedures you are still having problems then you may have run into a bug in the installer.I will need a bug log emailed to me in that case. To produce the log, please run the install (as root) from a console and pipe the output to a logfile.The log will be approximately 4.5MB in size and is best directed to a mounted hard disk partition.In my case, my Mdk92 boot partition is hda7 so I use /mnt/hda7/tmp for the log.eg:$ su -# `which livecd-install` 2>&1 > /mnt/hda7/tmp/debug.logThe log should be tarred and zipped prior to mailingeg:# cd /mnt/hda7/tmp# tar -czf debug.log.tz debug.logSend me the logfile at owyn.tux at sympatico.ca, detailing the problem/issue you were having.This should help the developers find the issue and fix it.

My CD burner does not work after installing to the hard diskThe HD installer does not include the hdx=ide-scsi boot option in it's lilo append.Edit your lilo append to include, eg. hdd=ide-scsi.Where hdd is the device for your burner.This post is being reworked. Updates as soon as tested.

How do I add back my windows partition for dual booting now that lilo has been installed in my master boot record.Launch Master Control CenterKDE->Configuration->Configure your computerIn MCCClick on BootClick on DrakbootIn DrakbootClick on ConfigureClick on OKClick on AddClick on Other OS (Windows)Select the partitionclick on okWindows will now be available from your Lilo boot menu.

Does "livecd home=usb" work in PV5?Not very well.There are known problems, limitations, and sparse support (actually very lightly tested) of Persistent Partitions.What is a Persistent PartitionTechnically a Persistent Partition is any partition on any mountable device (including usb storage) which contains a "livecd.mnt" file in the root directory of the partititon.Functionally it is the /home partition for a Livecd boot.The gospel from the developer

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> Unfortunately, it is untested. I've made fixes for it about a month> ago an never got around to trying it out, but rather got stuck in> fixing issues on the creation, hwdetection and installation.Ok, I have some good news and some bad news. First the good news. Initial mounting works as expected. I assume that your keys have been used in a previous try. To get it to work, the format of the key file has been changed, and the a looped ext2 image is now used to get past the vfat issues.Clean them first before trying to use. At the very least, remove the old/previous (PV4) "livecd.mnt" file, and it will create an image when you boot with "home=usb" which will result in the key being properly used.Now for the bad news. The above was the part I tested. The part I didn't test was the use in subsequent boots. Yes, you guessed it - it doesn't mount /home again. So we are 50% there. I will fix that now. Sorry :(As an aside - it should be a good time to start compiling a list of keys that does work. I know Tex tested with 3 keys that didn't work. Your 3 (test them following my instructions) should be a good start to the list. Here is mine:1. Mecer, Mobile Hard Disk, 128MB (Don't ask, it is a re-packaged something on sale here in South Africa)> PS: Please send me your fstab from PV5 and the output from "mount".Your mount should contain something along the lines of "/mnt/usb0/livecd.img /home" when it works. (Same with fstab...)Jaco

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> Now for the bad news. The above was the part I tested. The part I> didn't test was the use in subsequent boots. Yes, you guessed it - it> doesn't mount /home again. So we are 50% there. I will fix that now.> Sorry :(Damnit. One small irritating typo. Fixed for PV6. Damnit.Now might be a good time to explain how persistent partitions, including a persistent home works. 1. When we boot, we look at a file called "livecd.mnt" on all partitions, including USB devices. When found it is a candidate for persistence. This file is read, and when it contains an entry "mount=/<someplace>" it will mount that partition at that point. So if you want to make your /var persistent, you could create a file containg that one entry (mount=/var).However, for vfat devices, like USB, softlinks are not supported. For these devices the "livecd.mnt" file contains an entry "loop=/home" which means to mount an "livecd.img" ext2 loopback device at the specified "loop" point. (This is the part that was broken.)2. USB /home devices: (Creating persistent home) When we find a USB device, we create an ext2 loopback image, livecd.img, of 50% of the available space on the device. In addition the livecd.mnt file is created, (containing "loop=/home") to allow for use on subsequent boots. (Well, that will be the case in PV6.)3. If you really want to get the USB key working right now, there is a way... Format the device ext2. (vfat doesn't like symlinks, hence the DCOP error.) Create a file "livecd.mnt" on the device:$ echo >/mnt/usb0/livecd.mnt << EOFmount=/homeEOF$ cp -aR /home/* /mnt/usb0/Reboot. Now step 1 as detailed above will kick in and you have your /home persistent. (You can also do this for any partition that you want persistent.)Jaco

Known Hardware problems with PV5This post is a work in progress. Details will be added as known.Check back if you have problems booting CD.Please post any new problems on the support thread.MemoryLiveCd requires 256MB to boot.MotherboardnForce2 motherboards may need "livecd noapic nolapic acpi=off"AudioCreative SB Live!, Audigy, Audigy 2: Some motherboards may require "livecd noapic" or "livecd noapic nolapic". Try this if no sound and the other sound trouble shooting tips do not work.Dell SB Live! Value are not standard Creative cards. No solution at the moment to make them work. Impacts Dell Dimension 8250 systems in particular.VideoATI 8500 - 9700: Needs "livecd xbpp=24". May also require xres, eg: "livecd xbpp=24 xres=1024x768".NetworkSome NIC's may require "livecd noscsi". Try this if you don't have a network connection after boot.NotebooksOther

PV5 Requires 256MBYou must have at least 256MB Ram on your system to boot Preview 5 LiveCD.This minimum was caused by adding Samba Server to the CD. Unfortunately it added several large files to /etc which later caused the boot ram disk to overflow.Tex is working on a fix for lower memory systems for PV6.

No network connection after bootSome NICs are not getting set up properly during the boot.The two most frequent cures to the problems are:-Boot with "livecd noscsi". Not an option on scsi systems. Sorry Adam.-Run "/sbin/mii-tool -R -r" after logging in and reset the interface.Please post details identifying your Network Card and Motherboard if you need to use one of these solutions.

How to check LiveCDHuge thanks to Bruno for the details on getting this tip to work.See ATL Tips: MD5SUM of an ALREADY BURNED CD and CHECK CD SCRIPTfor background and information on how to create the checkcd script.When/Why should I use this procedureWhen: Either before booting for the first time, or, you are getting CD read errors. Best time is immediately after burning the CD.Why: You are paranoid/anal (I am) or you are having problems. GotchasThe script requires isoinfo. If it is not installed the most likely package to contain it is cdrecord.Do not run this test on a busy system. I received false errors while playing music at same time as I ran the test.Clean your CD. The error can easily be caused by a dirty CD.Clean your CD drive. I use a Recoton Laser-Matic CD Lens Cleaner. Has fixed many can't read this CD/DVD problems.Example for PV5

What about Mandrake Updates?Mandrake updates should not be applied directly to PCLos.They may conflict with Tex's packaging.Tex reviews updates as released and pre-tests them on PCLos.When tested, they are added to the PCLos apt repository.Run "Update List" in synaptic to get an up to date list of packages.or$ su# apt-get update# apt-get upgradeTo quickly update your system from the command line.

Using PcLinuxOs MirrorsPCLos PV5 uses apt/synaptic for software distribution.The file which describes where and how you find and retrieve packages is /etc/apt/sources.list.The following is a tested sources.list for all currently functioning PCLos apt repositories:

To change to a different repository uncomment (ie. remove the # at the beginning of it's line) it's definition and comment out (ie. add a # at the beginning of it's line) the current repository.Then, start synaptic and "Update List" to refresh the package list for your new source.This example uses the nluug repository, the fastest of the set.FYI: Time to complete "Update List" for each source was:ibiblio 34 secgatech 116 secnluug 20 secgwgd 46 secThe ibiblio source is the master for the mirrors. It will always have the latest submissions from Tex. The mirrors all sync in less than 24 hours. You should only use ibiblio if you can not find a specific recent file.

Using PLF with PCLosThe Penguin Liberation Front (PLF) Mandrake 9.2 rpms may sometimes be used with PCLos.Be carefull, there is no guarantee that the PLF's packaging will be compatible with PCLos.PLF does not support apt. You must download the file from the FTP site:ftp://ftp.easynet.fr/plf/mandrake/9.2/i586After the rpm has been downloaded, it can be installed in the normal manner.$ su# rpm -ivh /path/to/rpmWarning: DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU GET ANY WARNINGS/ERRORS. You could break your PCLos install.Why would you want to use the site?For the same reason that you need to use it from Mandrake. Tex may be forced to exclude some files from his repository for legal reasons.eg:libdvdcss2 disappeared from the PCLos mirrors. I downloaded the plf rpm and installed it successfully to PV5.ftp://ftp.easynet.fr/plf/mandrake/9.2/i58...8-1plf.i586.rpm

How should I install the bootloader?Phase 5 of the Hard Disc Installer controls how you install the boot loader.This version of the Installer supports only basic LILO.You have 3 basic options:1)Install Boot Loader to PCLos Partition2)Install Boot Loader to Master Boot Record (MBR)3)Do not install a bootloader.Use Option 1 (PCLos Partition) if you are currently using Lilo or Grub from another partition and want to maintain your existing multi-boot configuration. This option MUST be used if you are currently using Grub. The PV5 installer can not properly remove the grub boot record.Use Option 2 (MBR) if you have not previously installed Linux on this system.Option 3 (Do nothing) is not recommended for any case, but, may happen because you clicked NEXT instead of INSTALL. Simplest way to fix this problem is to re-install from the LiveCD.

PV5 Hard Disc Install - Step-by-StepThese are detailed notes from a new HD install of PV5 to my multi-boot test system. This time I wanted to accomplish two things.- Check this tip- Have a HD install of PV5 which I could use for comparison and recovery from errors I was bound to make during testing.Some background.- My test system is a multi-boot WXP, Mdk92, Suse9, PCLos PV5, etc.- My current boot loader runs from the Mdk92 partition. I really don't want any changes made to this that I do not control directly.- I have a pre-existing 2GB swap file (I need it that large for mklivecd) on hda5- I have pre-made 5GB ext3 partitions on my second hard drive for test installs.I chose hdb6 as the target for this install. It was formatted, empty and waiting. For the purposes of this test, I reformatted using diskdrake.The Step-by-StepWhile logged in as guest I started a console and switched to root. First step is to prepare the partition. In my case, I just wanted to re-format it as ext3. You may need to create a new partition, or, make other adjustments to your partition scheme. That is out of scope for this tip.$ su# diskdrakeWhen diskdrake starts:-Click Ok to continue-Click disk tab if required (I needed to select hdb)-Click the partition on the map (I clicked hdb6)-Make sure you are working with the correct partition-Click Unmount to make existing partition available for changes-Check that the partition is at least 5GB and that the format is ext3 or ReiserFs. Ok for both in my case. 5000MB. ext3.-Click Format to prepare the partition-Click Mount to remount the partition-Click Done to exit diskdrakeCheck the console log to make sure there were no errors from diskdrake.Next step, the hard disc install.# livecd-installThe Installer starts with Step 1 (Welcome).Ignore any messages on the console. These are benign.I run the installer from a console so that I can see any error messages. It also lets me abort the install if problems occur and look at the problems more closely.There will be a lot of messages in Step 4.Step 1: WelcomeNothing to do in this step.Read the notes.Click Next to continue.Step 2: Partition Selection.You will see a burst of console messages as this step starts. Ignore them unless you have problems. Just logging automatic partition detection to prepare for the partition selection.I want to use just the Required Partitions.Root (/) partition.-Select the partition you prepared in diskdrake. In my case /dev/hdb6.-Uncheck formatSwap device-Confirm existing swap partition (In my case /dev/hda5) was automatically selected.Click Next to continueStep 3: Partition VerificationReview settings. Make sure partitions are correct and that Format is NOT checked. There is a problem in PV5 when partitions are formatted from the installer.If there are any errors, then click Back to return to Step 2. Fix problem. Click Next in Step 2 to return to Step 3.If everything is correct, click Next to continue.Step 4: LiveCD InstallationThe installation phase starts automatically.It took about 21 minutes to complete the copy from the CD to the HD.Lots of messages scroll by in the console.The following shows the final messages in the console on completeion of Step 4.

Click Next to continue.NOTE: Some users are reporting Next button greyed out with status at 100% complete. This procedure should avoid the problem, but, if it does occur, please post a message on the support thread and include the last 20 or so lines from your console log.Step 5: Bootloader InstallationSelect /dev/hdb6 (Bootsector of Partition)I want to see the lilo for the HD install but I don't want to change the way my system boots yet.Click Install to continueDO NOT Click Next. This will skip installation of a bootloader.Some additional messages appear on console, normally benign.Step 6: RebootLeave setting at "No. I will reboot later".Click Finish to exit the Installer.That's it for this tip.Updating mult-boot lilo tip available shortly.

Warning: Make sure you are not using synaptic at the same time as apt-get. apt-get will stall out waiting for a lock to clear.Eg: I needed the webmin package which I knew was in the repository.So:$ su# apt-get update# apt-get install webmin

Oops. Some problems this time.The first attempt to update resulted in "Hit" status for some of the nluug files. This means that those files could not be accessed (probably being updated). apt-get will continue to use old files for the mirror, but, in this case I decided to switch to ibiblio for the upgrade. It also did not continue after the hit messages. Reason, stalled out due to synaptic also running.# vi /etc/apt/sources.listand uncomment ibibilio and comment out nluug.Everything worked this time. Great. One package to be updated (replaced plf version with tex version).Another solution of course is to not be impatient. Syncs usually don't take very long to complete.See "man apt" for more information.

DiskDrake won't format new partitionIn some cases DiskDrake will not format a newly created partition.This is caused by a bug which prevents the creation of the /dev (devfs) entry for the new partition.No fix is currently available for the bug.Rebooting the system creates a clean /dev and allows the partition to be formatted.

ReiserFS most reliable PV5 partition formatReiserFS is the most likely target format to work with the Hard Disc Installer.In some cases DiskDrake/mk2fs fails to complete formatting for ext3. This incomplete format causes the HD Installer to not complete Step 4, or, complete with errors on the installed partition.These errors cause a kernel panic on booting the newly installed partition.